Tuscaloosa City Schools may offer free dental screenings, education and supplies as soon as February

Friday

Jan 24, 2014 at 4:00 PMJan 24, 2014 at 4:41 PM

Students in the Tuscaloosa City School System could have access to free dental screenings, toothbrushes and more as soon as February.

By Jamon SmithStaff Writer

Students in the Tuscaloosa City School System could have access to free dental screenings, toothbrushes and more as soon as February.The Tuscaloosa City Board of Education on Tuesday approved the first reading of an agreement with Sarrell Dental Centers that would allow the nonprofit dental agency to provide students with age-appropriate oral health education, dental screenings and dental supplies, such as toothpaste."The summer school program has partnered with a number of community agencies and this (Sarrell) was one of them," said Mike Daria, assistant superintendent for general administration. "It worked out well for us."Daria said the dental screenings will likely take place once a year.Each school will determine when the screenings and oral health education classes occur.All of Sarrell's activities will take place inside the schools in an area designated by each school, he said.Sarrell's services will be available free of charge to all students. But the parents or legal guardians of students have to sign a consent form before any dental services will be provided."It's an explicit opt-in," Daria said. "Parents have to sign a document saying that they want their children to participate."If the board approves the agreement at its next meeting, services from Sarrell will likely begin next month.According to its website, Sarrell Dental is a nonprofit that treats the dental and optical needs of Alabama children ages 1 through 20.Sarrell Dental was founded in 2004 in Anniston and has grown to include 13 other offices in Alexander City, Athens, Attalla, Bessemer, Boaz, Clanton, Enterprise, Leesburg, Pinson, Selma, Talladega, Toney and Tuscaloosa.The mission of Sarrell Dental is to increase access to dental care for underserved people, its website states.